Eating healthy fruits and vegetables can be great for optimum eye health. Your diet and lifestyle choices can impact your overall health, as well as the health of your eyes.
A diet high in saturated fat and sugar may increase your risk of eye disease. On the other hand, healthy foods such as greens and fruits may help prevent certain eye diseases and other health problems. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and eye conditions including cataract and age related macular degeneration all have been shown to be less prevalent in people who eat diets rich in vitamins, minerals, healthy proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein.
All healthy diets should include ample amounts of fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables. In fact, experts recommend that you consume at least five to nine servings of these foods daily. Choose dark green or brightly colored fruits and vegetables to obtain the most antioxidants. These will protect your eyes by reducing damage related to oxidizing agents (free radicals) that can cause age-related eye diseases. Lutein, found in dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, is one of the best known eye-protecting antioxidants. Sweetcorn, peas, and broccoli also contain large amounts of lutein.
Vitamin A, vital for healthy vision, is found in orange and yellow vegetables such as carrots and squash. Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant. Try to begin adding these vitamins into your diet more, in order to improve your long-term eye health.